"But," said Sam, "how are we to do it? We arn't among the favored ones. We weren't born with silver spoons in our mouths." "I should like to do it," added Drake, "but what's the use? We couldn't do much any way--not enough to amount to anything." And so the others expressed their opinions in like manner. They all "would like," but "where was the money to come from?" "Listen," said Peter; and they all turned toward him with real deference, for they knew he never wore a cloak over his heart, and that when he spoke in earnest, his meaning had depth to it. "Now I have formed a plan. There is old Uncle Israel and his wife; then there is the widow Manley, with four little children, suffering for want of the actual necessaries of life; and then there is Mrs. Williams--she is very poor. Her son Philip, who is her mainstay, was sick all the summer and fall, and is sick now; so the woman got nothing from her little patch of land, and is now absolutely reduced to beggary, with herself and sick son to support. Now let us take these three cases in hand, and support them." "But how?" asked three or four voices, anxiously, for they really and fully sympathized with the noble plan. "I'll tell you," resumed Peter. "Here, Tim," he called, turning to the bar-keeper, "what's our bill?" "Let's see," responded the worthy, coming up. "There's two cigars apiece, three cents each--that's thirty-six. Then the ale--three pints--eighteen cents; and wine--three gills--that's eighteen more--makes just thirty-six more; and twice thirty-six is--is--seventy-two--seventy-two cents in all." "Come, boys," said Peter, "let's pay an equal share to-night. Let's give him ninepence apiece." So the "boys" paid up, and after Tim had gone, Peter resumed: "Now see what we've spent to-night for nothing. I'll begin with you, Sam. How much do you suppose you spend each day for cigars and ale? Now reckon fairly." "Let's see," was Sam's response after gazing into the face of his interlocutor until he had fairly got hold of the idea. "I certainly average four--no, five cigars a day, and I suppose they average three cents apiece. Then comes my ale--but I could not tell how much that amounts to, for I don't drink it regularly, but perhaps six cents a day." "That's just twenty-one cents a day, utterly wasted," said Peter; "and I'll own up to wasting twenty-five cents a day. How is it with you, John?" "I'll say twenty-five." "And you, Walter?" "Just about the same." "Lyman?" "The same." "Bill?" "The same." "Now look at it. Here we are, a little worse than wasting about a dollar and a half a day. But let us put our loss at a shilling each--" "No, no," cried Sam, who saw through the whole plan. "Let's give honest measure. I'll own up to the twenty-five. Let's go the whole, if any."